Thousands without power
(Level: B2 / Upper-Intermediate / ***)


While we were in Kent, England in March, we were also caught in the cold snap but fortunately, it was nothing comparable to the snowy blizzards the inhabitants of the Isle of Arran had to endure.

From the BBC - In Pictures

You are going to watch a Sky News report that focuses on the terribly wintry conditions on the isle and their consequences. 



Before watching:
Where is the Isle of Arran? Take a look!
http://www.arran.co.uk/map/

And here are a few details about it if you are interested:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Isle_of_Arran


Now watch the report and answer the questions:

http://news.sky.com/story/1069298/snow-thousands-without-power-amid-warnings


1. What caused the power lines to be badly damaged in parts of Scotland such as the Isle of Arran?
2. Why can't power companies manage to reconnect the households more quickly?

Note:
drifting snow / snow drift: congère
one foot = 30.48 cm





When you are finished, check your answers:
1.
La neige qui recouvre les cables à haute tension se transforme en glace sous l'effet du vent glacial et provoque des surcharges pouvant entraîner la rupture des cables ou des pylônes. Dans le cas présent, le poids de la neige atteint jusqu'à 20 fois le poids des cables. 

2.
Il faut commencer par dégager les routes encombrées par des amas de neige ou congères pouvant atteindre jusqu'à 4,5 mètres de haut. / Des milliers de ménages sont concernés...